A bit foamy..

[dcopas78]

I know a lot of the members here are on private sewer or septic systems, but for those on a public sewer systems, please consider what you are sending down the drain before you send it. I've saw a lot of environmentally conscious people not realize the treatment plant won't remove everything. Oh, and anything labeled as "flushable" usually isn't. Those wipes cause more maintenance issues in sewer systems than I care to explain.

This detergent was dumped about 4 miles from the plant, and was about 5 gallons of industrial strength detergent. It came in on about a 2 million per day flow. It went through the plant like crap through a goose and into our receiving waters which are an exceptional warm water habitat. Luckily, we had heavy rains throughout the day and it flushed from the stream quickly. It was also rather harmless and didn't contain any toxics or drop down O2 levels in the water. At one time the foam level was about 3 feet thick on the receiving waters.

 

[Ben Sellers]

Does your NPDES permit specify no foam? Did it outpace your defoamer, or do you not use it? Unless it was an individual, it sounds like it’s time to revisit someone’s Industrial Pretreatment Program. It’s no fun when you have to take load of crap (pun intended) someone sends you and there is nothing you can do but ride it out.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Az. has waterr treatment facilities,comes out like chlorine.
My white dove won't touch it.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Az. has waterr treatment facilities,comes out like chlorine.
My white dove won't touch it.

Makes me glad I have my own private well.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Out of curiosity what are the worst things to send down the drain?

Bleach, acetone, etc

 

[dcopas78]

Does your NPDES permit specify no foam? Did it outpace your defoamer, or do you not use it? Unless it was an individual, it sounds like it’s time to revisit someone’s Industrial Pretreatment Program. It’s no fun when you have to take load of crap (pun intended) someone sends you and there is nothing you can do but ride it out.

We don't have foam issues normally so we usually don't keep defoamer on hand. I tracked the problem to a facility that is moving their operations to Pennsylvania. They have a pretreatment system that uses a lot of mild detergent and normally works in conjunction with a defoam agent. They've been cleaning up all the operations and the operator forgot to add the agent, lol. Luckily no do drop, toxicity or e-coli carryover. Just changed our UV bulbs last week so they are at their highest output.

 

[dcopas78]

Out of curiosity what are the worst things to send down the drain?

Bleach, acetone, etc

Usually household stuff isn't bad unless its gallons of the stuff. The industrial strength stuff is a whole different level of nasty because it is super concentrated. Oils/greases are always bad. I saw 5 gallons of mixed boat gasoline that a guy dumped down a manhole completely wipe out a .600 MGD plant. Turned it black as coal, killed off the entire treatment biology on the trickling filters and took about a month to fully recover. All the while the plant sent nearly untreated sewer to the creek in violation of the NPDES permit.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Usually household stuff isn't bad unless its gallons of the stuff. The industrial strength stuff is a whole different level of nasty because it is super concentrated. Oils/greases are always bad. I saw 5 gallons of mixed boat gasoline that a guy dumped down a manhole completely wipe out a .600 MGD plant. Turned it black as coal, killed off the entire treatment biology on the trickling filters and took about a month to fully recover. All the while the plant sent nearly untreated sewer to the creek in violation of the NPDES permit.

In my mind I was thinking about DIY euro mount guys and/or taxidermists. I can see someone who is doing a lot of heads getting into gallons of acetone, industrial degreaser, 40 vol peroxide or higher, ammonia hydroxide, etc. I would imagine most of these could be pretty hard on a municipal system if put down the drain?

 

[bushman13]

I think some of the worst things we flush is our piss. Things like Prozac do not break down and are detectable in amphibians and fish.

Out of curiosity what are the worst things to send down the drain?

Bleach, acetone, etc

 

[dcopas78]

In my mind I was thinking about DIY euro mount guys and/or taxidermists. I can see someone who is doing a lot of heads getting into gallons of acetone, industrial degreaser, 40 vol peroxide or higher, ammonia hydroxide, etc. I would imagine most of these could be pretty hard on a municipal system if put down the drain?

Yes, those would definitely be problems in large quantities for smaller systems

 

[dcopas78]

I think some of the worst things we flush is our piss. Things like Prozac do not break down and are detectable in amphibians and fish.

Yes, pharmaceuticals are an emerging problem. Unfortunately, there isn't a cost effective way of removing them yet. The bugs won't eat them, so they simply pass through the system and out into the stream in most cases

 

[Ben Sellers]

Worst thing is solutions with heavy metal like from an electroplating facility. No removing those in a normal system, you’ll blow your permit limits, fail chronic toxicity tests and have a significant impact to the receiving stream. Next is a biocide that kills all the plants microorganisms. You kill you bugs and there’s a problem. Let acetone and volatile organics evaporate or turn in during the city’s hazmat day. Don’t send that stuff down the sink.

 

[Ben Sellers]

We don't have foam issues normally so we usually don't keep defoamer on hand. I tracked the problem to a facility that is moving their operations to Pennsylvania. They have a pretreatment system that uses a lot of mild detergent and normally works in conjunction with a defoam agent. They've been cleaning up all the operations and the operator forgot to add the agent, lol. Luckily no do drop, toxicity or e-coli carryover. Just changed our UV bulbs last week so they are at their highest output.

Good deal. Looks like a high visibility, low impact event.

 

[dcopas78]

Worst thing is solutions with heavy metal like from an electroplating facility. No removing those in a normal system, you’ll blow your permit limits, fail chronic toxicity tests and have a significant impact to the receiving stream. Next is a biocide that kills all the plants microorganisms. You kill you bugs and there’s a problem. Let acetone and volatile organics evaporate or turn in during the city’s hazmat day. Don’t send that stuff down the sink.

No doubt about the plating. We have a MAC/Stanley tool manufacturing facility on our system that plates toolboxes. Chrome hex would come in (way back in the old days) and kill out the entire plant. I hate to see how much of that crap made it down that stream before they started pretreatment.

 

[Sweede82]

Yes, those would definitely be problems in large quantities for smaller systems

You don't have to dump anything to terrible down a drain to do Euro mount.
And it's easy to do,

1. Remove Hyde from head, you may be able to find a taxidermist who will give you credit for a cape in good condition plus it's good practice to cape them.

2. Boil head with the based tightly wrapped in aluminum foil to prevent discoloration of antlers. Deer: 45 min, elk 1 hr. Over boiling causes the skull to become brittle.

3. Scrub with Dawn dish detergent let dry, scrub agian.

4. Carefully pressure wash remaining tissue off of the skull and out of sinus and brain cavity

5. Repeat #3 a couple times this reduces/ removes the bone oil that causes yellowing.

6. Use paint brush to brush on hair bleach (from beauty supply store) brush it on every couple days for a few weeks until desired outcome

7. Repeat # 3 and done. I doubt you will rinse more hair bleach down the drain than one hair appointment.

Here's one I did.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Most people really don't think of the outcome of getting rid of unwanted waste. Logical disposal is flush it. Others find it to hard to get rid of large amounts of waste or don't know how.
I have a septic tank and I am very cautious what I put down the drain for obvious reasons.
What are ways everyday people can dispose of unwanted waste? Can some stuff be "Neutralized" before flushing it to help? Fire Departments will have haz-mat collection days, but what cans you do other than that? Suggestions might help the folks on this site that maybe did not realize the impact.

Your photo reminded me of the old Henry Fonda movie, Mr. Roberts. When Ensign Pulver (Jack Lemmon) blew up the laundry testing a homemade firecracker. Good movie!

 

[Zach]

Makes me glad I have my own private well.

might be the only time I agree with you. I'm glad I'm on 2 aquifers and my water tests are squeaky clean!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

You don't have to dump anything to terrible down a drain to do Euro mount.
And it's easy to do

Wait till you start doing predators/ pigs, it’s a 180, anyone can get a deer done. To do a bear correctly so it won’t grease over in 2-3 years is a way different process.

Also it’s a volume thing, sure one deer a year so big deal. What about 80 deer, 70 elk, 50 bears, and 100 pigs.

I did 10 mounts last year and I’m just doing It for my family, a small town shop would be way different.

 

[Sweede82]

Wait till you start doing predators/ pigs, it’s a 180, anyone can get a deer done. To do a bear correctly so it won’t grease over in 2-3 years is a way different process.

Also it’s a volume thing, sure one deer a year so big deal. What about 80 deer, 70 elk, 50 bears, and 100 pigs.

I did 10 mounts last year and I’m just doing It for my family, a small town shop would be way different.

For sure I'm just saying for the occasional diy, everything I used gets rinsed down the drain every time someone dose dishes or gets their hair done.